Waterbury Man Given Seven Year Prison Term For Drug Sale

Ken Byron

A Waterbury man accused of selling heroin to a woman who died of a drug overdose last April was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in a federal prison and must help her family pay for her funeral, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Jeremy Waver, 31, pleaded guilty in December to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances. Waver’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

In addition, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Meyer ordered Waver to pay restitution of $4,503.96 to the victim’s father to cover part of her funeral expenses.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Waver’s criminal history includes numerous drug convictions.

The investigation that led to Waver’s arrest started on April 2, when police in Ansonia found a 23-year old woman dead of a drug overdose in a home. Investigators found a hypodermic needle at the scene along with several wax folds of a substance later determined to contain furanyl fentanyl. Police also seized the woman’s iPhone.

Police found that the woman and another person had bought heroin from Waver the day before she died.

Waver was arrested on May 4. At the time, he had more than 100 wax folds that contained heroin, a synthetic opioid, fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl along with crack cocaine. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, many of those wax folds were stamped with the same image found on folds discovered the scene of the victim’s overdose death.

This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users, a spokesman for Durham said.